How Hospitals Comply with Health and Safety Standards

The need to control contamination in hospitals is of the utmost importance. These facilities must continuously work to maintain a clean and germ free environment to help protect patients and visitors from infections that can spread from one person to another.

While it’s impossible to eliminate all germs and bacteria, hospitals do a good job of keeping them under control and preventing them from spreading to critical surfaces that could endanger the health and well-being of the patients. Hospitals use a variety of methods to control contaminations such as installing a good ventilation system.

Adequate Ventilation Is Top Priority

Preventing contaminates from spreading through the air is one way hospitals maintain a clean and safe environment. To keep the air clean hospitals must install an efficient heating and air conditioning or HVAC system with proper ventilation. These systems have filters that help reduce the risks of contaminates spreading through the air and depositing on surfaces. They also keep the hospital cool to prevent the growth of bacteria that grow in warm, humid conditions.

Contamination Floor Mats Protect Clean Rooms

Contaminates are everywhere but especially on the floor. This is why cleaning the floor is just as important as keeping any other part of the facility clean. Walking or even the air circulating can stir up the containments on the floor and redeposit them onto surfaces and equipment within the clean rooms, which can result in infections and similar problems.

Hospital staff sweep, vacuum and mop the floors often throughout the day to keep them as clean as possible but some areas, such as the pharmaceutical sector and operating rooms need extra protection. Most facilities use contamination floor mats in these areas to help them comply with the guidelines for protecting the safety and health of health care workers, patients and visitors.

These mats help to prevent cross-contamination by reducing the amount of containments that enters the room from floor level. They clean the bottom of the shoes as the doctors, nurses and other staff members walk into a room. They also pick up dirt and contaminates from the wheels of trolley carts and stretchers.

You place contamination control mats in a non-skid, no-trip frame and attach it to the floor in front of the doorways leading into the clean rooms. Contamination mats are designed with layers of ultra-thin sheets of adhesive that trap anything that touches it, which keeps you from tracking the contaminates into the room. You peel each layer off as it gets dirty exposing a clean sheet. You can also use other floor mats in front of these to eliminate most of the dirt and debris before touching the contamination mat.

Hazard Waste Management

Disposing of hazard waste is also a vital part of keeping hospitals clean and free of containments. Every facility has a well-structured disposal system that includes using red canisters and bags for hazardous waste. All staff members are trained how to handle and dispose of hazardous waste correctly in addition to learning what can and cannot be recycled.

Following proper waste management procedures, maintaining adequate ventilation and using contamination floor mats are all excellent methods used by hospitals to help them comply with health and safety regulations.